Patterson's Kendall Green, also a PHS Ag-teacher, drives out of the Food Maxx arena after winning first place in her debut as a destruction derby driver Tuesday evening at the Stanislaus County Fair.--photo by Elias Funez/Patterson Irrigator

First time derby driver, Patterson's Kendall Green, eyes her competition as she smashes her derby car during Tuesday evening's Powder Puff women's only competition.--photo by Elias Funez/Patterson Irrigator

Patterson destruction derby competitor Hailey Schilp surrenders the white flag, meaning that she can no longer get her car to operate enough to continue the competition Tuesday evening at the Stanislaus County Fair.--photo by Elias Funez/Patterson Irrigator

Patterson destruction derby duo Hailey Schilp (left), and her former PHS Ag-teacher Kendall Green (right) smash up the competition during the annual powder puff destruction derby at the Stanislaus County Fair Tuesday July 15. Green came away with a first place win during the last woman standing event.--photo by Elias Funez/Patterson Irrigator

Cars, trucks and motor homes galore were turned into nothing more than scrap metal on wheels during the Turlock Lions Club Destruction Derby sponsored by Thompson Chevrolet. Destruction derby competitors came together for some bumps and grinding at the Food Maxx Arena at the Stanislaus County Fair.

The premise for the evening’s events was simple. Take your vehicle out and smash your opponents to pieces. The last vehicle moving amongst the remnants wins.

The evening of July 15 featured four categories. They had a truck division, an open division, a powder puff division, and lastly the grand finale a motor home division.

The women didn’t pull any punches in the powder puff event, and went right at each other. Once the green flag was hoisted the brawl was on.

Featured in the powder puff division were two local women. Recent Patterson High School graduate Haley Schilp participated in her 1976 Cordova. Haley Schilp has been racing for two years, and her derby car is a product of her high school prep project. Schilp won this event two years ago when she was just 16 in her first derby ever.

Kendall Green who is a teacher at Patterson High School decided to give the destruction derby a shot at the last minute. “We just decided to do this like two hours before the competition” Green said.

Green was given the opportunity to race by Dan Hicks who won the previous night, and decided to let Green borrow his car that was still in good condition. This turned out to be fortuitous for Green who went on to win the powder puff division in her first event ever.

After the race Green was asked what her favorite part about the event was which she replied; “Getting to hit other people”. The impulsive decision to join the event reaped a first place finish for the novice driver.

Schilp was cut short on her end when her engine gave out halfway through the grinding event after her front end was delivered some rough bashes. “Well it kind of caught on fire. My car wouldn’t start it was dead. So I couldn’t really do anything” said Schilp. Schilp was forced to waive the white flag signaling to the other drivers that she was resigning.

The signature moment of the powder puff event belonged to Turlock’s Cheyenne Cabral who rebounded from what looked like an early exit. Early in the derby Cabral’s car took a bruising blow. The front left wheel was completely tilted almost looking unhinged from the axle.

Everyone in the arena discounted Cabral’s No. 11 car. All signs pointed to her waiving the white flag, but Cabral never waivered continuing to try and resurrect her car. Miraculously she was able to bend the tire back in place after throttling her car back and forth, and jumped right back into the action.

This enduring show from Cabral immediately astonished and riled up the crowd. This stubbornness earned her a hard fought crowd pleasing second place finish behind the green hand driver of the event Kendall Green.

The crowd favorite event was saved for last. For the first time ever at the Turlock Lions Club Destruction Derby the motor home division was introduced. The division played host to the most mechanical carnage and memorable moments of the evening. These slow and heavy punchers left debris scattered all over the arena.

Parts that no other category could produce started flying off the motor homes such as couches, stoves, cabinets, and perhaps the most humorous a toilet left in the wake of their impactful collisions. Whether by design or out of forgetfulness these items were left in only to be dislodged or launched out much to the adoration of the spectators.

The last motor home standing was No. 43 Kurtis VanFoekn who outlasted the other vehicles in a slugfest. Van Foekn double dipped on the evening winning the truck category also.

In the open division category Number 54 Joe Lawrence took home first place beating up seven other competitors.

The event was hosted by the Turlock Lions Club in conjunction with the Stanislaus County Fair. The Turlock Lions Club hosts the event every year at the fair, and has been a mainstay at the fairgrounds for decades delivering quality smash filled destruction derby spectacles for locals to enjoy.

Friday, July 18, 2014

Chocolate vs. Chocolate Tort vs. Clean Fawn

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The Chocolate is a "self" color with extension gene E.

aabbC-D-E-

The Chocolate tort is also a "self" color but without the extension gene E.

aabbC-D-ee

thus the self chocolate color is not extended to the wool on the body. The only difference between the two colors is in the E series. The chocolate color is extended to the wool by the E gene while the chocolate tort only has the chocolate on the face, the chocolate color is not extended to the wool due to the non-extension gene ee.

The clean fawn is chocolate based fawn, it's a wide band agouti pattern without the extension gene.

A-bbC-D-ee

Other than being the agouti pattern the rest of the genetic make up is the same as chocolate tort. Due to the A gene, the fawn has white eye circles and white half moon under the nose and the tummy is also white. The chocolate tort does not have white eye circle, no white half moon under nose and tummy color is about the same as the back.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Journalist Brad Does a Photo Shoot of Betty's English Angora at Watsonville

The media seems to love Betty's English Angora being groomed. Brad Kava came to Watsonville and spent a couple of hours in the morning shooting Betty grooming Franchesca and her other English Angora.

Brad is serious about Franchesca being groomed.

Here is a close up of Franchesca being blown.

Brad left a little before noon then came back in the afternoon for more photos. On the table is 5-month-old white doe.

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Brad Kava worked at San Jose Mercury News for over 20 years, now an instructor of Journalism at Cabrillo College. He accepts projects from other news media. This photo shoot is contracted by a news agency based in Los Angeles. It's not clear where and when these photos will be posted; as soon as it's known, a link will be put on our blog.

Eric Louie is a local reporter who got the assignment from Ruptly TV to go to Watsonville to film Betty's English Angora. Eric is a graduate of San Francisco State University, has worked at Contra Costa Times and many media projects.

Eric was not the only reporter in the showroom, Eric and Brad are filming Allen judging English Angora. On the table is Betty's colored senior doe Franchesca.

Another scene of the two reporters videotaping and photographing the English Angora on the judging table.

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Ida Gets A Hair Cut

Ida is sitting pretty under the sun. She is over 13 months old, cumulated 29 legs with 3 Best In Show and 1 Reserve In show wins. Though her winning record is not as impressive as McKenzie or Franchesca, she has her 5 minutes of fame.

Ida got to dance with Steve Harvey...

Ida was the major rabbit in the German TV program...

All good things have to come to an end, Ida is getting a hair cut.

Ida's wool looks like a waterfall draping from the grooming table.

Another view of the "woolfall".

Ida looks so small next to her wool cut from her back.

After a couple of hours working on the spinning wheel, Ida's wool becomes two skeins of yarn. If you wonders about the weight, the two skeins come to a little over 8 ounces.